Testimony of the Holy Ghost

On the 17th of June, this last Friday, I got to speak at one of my close friends' baptisms.  He had asked me to talk on either baptism or the Holy Ghost.  My decision came to me very easily and I found I did not even have to write anything down because the story I was going to share had changed my life.  I decided to record the speech and transcribe it here for those who are interested to read it.  So here is my talk, exactly how I spoke it.

"Brandon approached me and wanted me to talk at his baptism about either baptism itself or the Holy Ghost and I thought about it and decided to speak on the Holy Ghost because I have a story I wanted to share and I felt that it was pertinent.

It was a camping trip that I had taken with a series of friends that I have had.  It was the first camping trip I had with these friends and it was up in Modesto.  I had never been to Modesto.  It was a weekend long camping trip and I had to work that Friday.  So I ended getting home, packing up, and getting out to Modesto but it was late, it was about midnight and I hadn’t eaten all day.

So I got my car unpacked, got my stuff set up, and got back in my car to find a 24 hour place to go grab some food.  I remember it was inside a park, it was inside like a regular national park, and I was pulling out and I heard this voice say, “Maybe you should put your seatbelt on.”  I didn’t think anything of it I just reached up, grabbed my seatbelt, slapped it on, and started driving down the road.

Speed limit was 45 and that’s what I was doing and I get to this intersection, I can see this intersection ahead of me, and I hear that same voice say “Maybe you should slow down a little bit.”  Again, didn’t think anything of it I slowed down and I hit about 40 miles an hour when I got to that intersection.

As I was going through that intersection I went to go look to see if any cars were coming and I looked to the left and all I saw were headlights.  I had no time to react.  The car hit me, rolled over the hood of my car, and ended up on its side and slid.  It was a drunk driver who had hit me doing about 92 miles an hour.

I was driving a Geo Metro which is a fiberglass shell of a car and he was driving a GMC Jimmy and looking back on that I know the Holy Ghost was keeping me safe.  That was the Holy Ghost that was telling me what I needed to do.  But he also gave me the choice of doing it. 

Had I not done what that voice had told me to do, I wouldn’t be standing here today.  I actually never would have met Brandon.  So, I’m very grateful to be here and I do believe the Holy Ghost will talk to you; you just have to be able to listen.  Sometimes it’ll be subtle, sometimes it’ll be like me, but he will be there for you.

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Now I say this because I thought it was amusing when I received my patriarchal blessing today in the mail.  Because I wasn't a follower for some time, my blessing had been lost in move after move that I had been through.  As I read it a passage from that blessing stood out to me and I could not help but laugh because of how true the statement was.

"The spirit will reveal to you and you will then have testimony of the validity of the Holy Ghost and it's ability to work within you according to your faithfulness."

This statement could not be any truer.  My faith in the Holy Ghost saved my life that day and I know what I heard was not just my conscience or a passing thought I had.  The truth is, the Holy Ghost saved me that day to continue my work on this planet.

As I said to Brandon, and as I say to all of you, the Holy Ghost will talk to you, you just have to listen for him.